[unreadable] [unreadable] Optical Society of America's BIOMED 2006 meeting will bring together interdisciplinary researchers in [unreadable] biomedical optics to present recent results and address current challenges in developing optical technologies for biomedicine. [unreadable] [unreadable] In order to meet these goals it is important to attract excellent speakers, clinicians, and junior scientists. [unreadable] Therefore the specific aims of this proposal are to provide travel and registration for invited speakers and to waive registration for several clinicians and junior scientists. At the discretion of the program and general committees, partial hotel or travel costs may also be waived for some of the clinicians and junior scientists. [unreadable] [unreadable] Examples of specific technologies to be addressed that are of direct relevance to NIBIB are "diffuse optical imaging", and "optical coherence tomography". The meeting will focus on applications of these technologies to biology and medicine. For example, "optical coherence tomography" is already being used by opthamologists and as the technology is improved more applications to opthamology are expected as well as to other medical needs such as cancer detection and treatment monitoring. "Diffuse optical imaging" has a wide variety of applications, from hemodynamics to brain imaging. There is at least one commercial cerebral oximeter available in the U.S. and further development of "diffuse optical imaging" will enable more applications. These and other technologies to be addressed at the meeting are relevant to NIBIB's mission "to improve health by promoting fundamental discoveries, design and development, and translation and assessment of technological capabilities in biomedical imaging and bioengineeririg,..." [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]